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“You mean the one you left with last night?”
“Christ was it only last night? It seems like a lifetime ago. Yeah, that’s the one.”
“What do you wanna know about her?”
“Her full name. Where she lives? That kind of shit.”
“Okay, but why?”
“Seems she OD’d in a motel last night, and I was one of the last people to see her alive.”
“Whoa.” Jess’s voice cracked. “You’re in the crapper again?”
“Not really. The cops got me on camera going into the room with her but leaving shortly after. That was hours before her time of death. But they drilled me, and I know nothing other than her first name.”
“Why’d ya go to the motel with her then? Please tell me you didn’t use.”
“No. But she did. I almost weakened, but after seeing her zonk out, I came to my senses and left. You know any more about her?”
“Nah. Not much. Other than at one time she had a good job, a nice place and liked bad boys. Met up with a guy called Jay Reynolds, and they were a twosome for a while. Then she began coming to Nudies alone and Jay suddenly faded from the scene. Sorry I can’t be of much help.”
“No, it’s all good. I guess I just feel bad about her dying so young.”
“Yeah, it’s a shame. But between us two, I called it at the bar when she started using that cheap crap. It’s hard to watch someone deteriorate like that but shit happens, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. I know. I watched my brother.”
Chapter Twenty-nine
Luke drove to where he normally parked his truck and headed for the bar. He only had a short time before they expected him onstage, but he decided to make his way along the alley in case he saw Zed.
Sure enough, he was there surrounded by a half dozen partying vacationers. Not taking any chances, covering his head, he pretended to be a drunk and stomped into the group yelling, “Hey ya’ll. That shit he’s selling put my friend in the hospital. He almost died. I’m calling the cops.”
Before he’d finished his sentence, everyone split, including Zed.
Glad he’d stopped that sale but knowing it hadn’t done zip in the bigger scheme, guilt edged in before he could stop it. Making himself a promise that he’d hit the son of a bitch up that same night, he headed into Nudies. With imminent plans to find Zed firming his determination, he straightened his spine for the taxing hours ahead.
Greeted by his band waving him to their special table near the bandstand, he slowly approached. From their smiling faces, he knew they had good news, and that lifted his spirit.
“Hey man, have we got a surprise for you.” Matt held out an envelope and watched Luke’s face as he read the address from the Grand Ole Opry. Hands clammy, he took out the formal letter, and his eyes lit up.
“They want us to play there?” he asked, his voice cracking with disbelief.
Boney yelled “Hee Haw”, slapped his back, and pumped the air, while Cissy kissed his cheek and then handed him a cold beer. Matt answered, “Looks like. You know how hard it is to get an invitation to perform in that joint? A musician knows he’s made it when these people acknowledge him.”
Luke spotted the date and saw it was still months away. Taking a breath of relief, he decided to just let the chips fall where they may. Right now, he had two jobs to do, and one far outweighed the other on the scale of importance. But Jesus… the Grand Ole Opry. A country singer’s dream come true.
That night, the band played better than he’d ever heard them perform before. Their enthusiasm carried him along, so his singing stirred even the harshest critic.
And the harshest one sat near the bar in the back with her head down, her hair hidden under the hood covering her face. Go figure, Linda had called her here tonight of all times, insisting she needed to see Honey in person to share the news she’d dug up.
Listening to the soulful singer who’d broken her heart, she fell into a pit of what-ifs and stayed there while sipping on ginger ale. Sometime later, still waiting for Linda to get a break, Honey covered herself further by allowing two bridesmaids and the bedecked bride to join her table.
They were out to celebrate the coming nuptials and were filled with high spirits. Honey didn’t have the heart to turn them away and keep the table to herself. Besides, they gave her cover… them and the steady stream of guys coming to coax them to the dance floor.
Because Linda had reserved the table for her, she’d chosen one near the end of the room with less space between the table and the long bar. Glad it sat furthest away from the band, she could listen to the music and still watch for when Linda might call her over.
Being a people watcher, Honey passed most of the time checking out the nearest customers, one person in particular. A man dressed in black jeans and a jacket the same color had sauntered in trying to look cool, but she’d noticed him because his hand shook while it clutched something in his pocket.
From the time he’d arrived to slink against the bar, he hadn’t looked away from the band. She watched as his eyes drilled Luke with a look of hatred coloring his expression. Counting, she watched him flip back more than one double whiskey… if the amber liquor in the glass he clutched could be called evidence. With each empty highball tumbler he slammed down, he appeared to be fostering his fury.
